The Herb Garden
by PinkPoppy
Summary: Blaine is a shy, honest hardworking Gardener at his Auntie Lucys homemade business "The Herb Garden" but the arrival of a ambitious city boy catches his attention and perhaps Blaine can catch his too...
1. Chapter 1

The Herb Garden

Another salty, warm bead of sweat glistened as it ran down Blaine Andersons forehead and sat on his brow has he arched his back, cracking a few bothersome bones that needed to be straightened out and placed his cracked hands, worn down by sun and soil, on the small of his sticky back after a busy morning of replanting some rosemary bushes.

Blaine had been working at The Herb Garden with his Aunty Lucy since he was 16, though he'd never had any horticultural education, there was neither a tree nor a trowel he couldn't identify and not a scent in the whole Nursery his nose didn't know off by heart. It was mid-July, mid-day and just about the right time for one of Lucy village famous cream teas which, even though steaming hot, seemed to cool Blaine down and as he was a well-known sweet tooth, really hit the spot.

Lucy was a fairly large woman; rather fitting Blaine thought that she should resemble one of the rosy cheeked apples that had ripened on the tree at the very back of the gardens, one of his personal favourite plants and which could be seen in perfect view from the tea room they were to sit in.

"Don't you ever stop boy?" she chuckled, waddling over with the tea and a few naughty little biscuits because he had been "such a sweetie" this week. The warm sweet air rising from the fresh drinks danced with the smell of the rosemary that clung to Blaines clothes, an unusual and unexpected mix of aromas but somehow it worked and made this afternoon break even more relaxing.

Blaine grinned and shook his head laughably "Lucy I'm twenty one! I'm not scraggy little Blainey boy anymore I-"

"Oh of course you are silly, so you've grown a few inches and have managed to sprout some face fuzz but you'll always be my little B! Now stop being dithering dandelion and sit ya bum down"

Blaine smiled again, gave Lucy a peck on the cheek and attempted to place himself somewhere that the mud on his jeans wouldn't stain anything, unfortunately Lucy, among her many talents, enjoyed making hundreds of decorative lace cushions which she scattered on every sofa or chair with great pride so in fear of tainting her hard work Blaine simply reached over his back, pulled off his everyday trusty blue t-shirt and sat on that.

Blaine wasn't shy about sitting there with his chest on display; Lucy had given him a family and a home after all. Seven years ago Blaines parents had stayed over for the week at a friends house in London, Lucy agreed to have Blaine for the half term, but as Blaine came inside ready and eager for their dog walk, he found Lucy, she was crying, sat in the living room eyes wide with horror as she stared in shock at the television which showed a red double decker bus with the roof ripped off and the flashing blue lights of the police cars that blocked the scene with officers telling the public to "stay back" and "not look".

That Sunday Blaine and Lucy attended a remembrance service to pay their respects to those lost in the London bombings, Blaine wasn't stupid, he was old enough to know what this meant and what had happened and maybe in a way it made it easier for Lucy not to have to explain why they weren't coming back, but Lucy lived on her own and had never had children. Being suddenly struck with the duty of motherhood whilst trying to cope with the grief of losing her sister took its toll for a few years but Blaine had a good heart, sometimes too good, and helped Lucy through the hard times just as much as she helped him, they made each other laugh, Lucy bought pizza and snacks for when they watched movies and loved more than anything else, taking Daisy , a rather attention seeking Staffie and patch the loveable yet loopy Springer spaniel, out for their Thursday morning walk.

The two sat in silence, not because they didn't want to speak to each other, simply because of the way the beams of sunlight that bounced off the hanging glass wind chimes, burst into rainbows illuminating the conservatory and transformed it into an almost magical multi-coloured paradise.

Blaine leaned back, forgetting just how much sweat had accumulated from the morning, and gazed around the room like he was Alice having had fallen into wonderland.

"God this place still amazes me, I don't think there could be anything more beautiful, I could just sit and listen to this forever" His eyes followed the dust weave in and out of the light and Lucys mouth curled up at the corner as she remembered how Blaine would do this when he was little…well littler.

But as sweet as it was, it was like Lucy said "Ain't no use expecting flower and eggs to taste good, you gotta get on and bake that cake!"

So Blaine took a motivational deep breath in and hitched himself out of his seat, splaying tiny flakes of soil on the floor as he did but before Lucy could clip him round the head for inevitably dirtying up her latest pillowcase Blaine had scarpered with a cheeky grin wiped across his face almost as a little 11 year old boy, putting an earthworm he had just discovered, in his aunties underwear draw…

It was then that Blaine heard the latch softly click on the front gate followed by a couple of hesitant steps towards the tea room, like that of a baby deer taking its first steps, not knowing quite which way is best.

"he…hello? Mrs Kimerage?"

An innocent, curiously pale face slowly emerged from behind the courtyard wall, smooth slender fingers on one hand grasped around a clipboard as the others readjusted the designer leather marc Jacobs bag sliding from his shoulder. The strangers eyes darted towards Blaines, a little in shock but he sensed relief as well, perhaps glad that he had found the right building, Blaine knew only too well that Birthday presents sent to Lucy had to be posted weeks in advance so the postman had the chance to work out where on earth in this tangled mess of rural England her house was.

But it seemed to take Blaine by shock too, those eyes were like no colour he'd ever seen, the colour that fresh air would look like and crashing ocean waves and stars in the midnight sky spun into a dozen threads of blue and held his stare, he has never seen someone so radiant, even with the sunbeam seeping through the willow trees it seemed as if, he was the one that lit up the garden.

Blaine then became very aware that he was sweating, a lot, and staring, a lot and had neither introduced himself or thought of putting his shirt back on.

Well, first impressions are never perfect, right?


	2. Chapter 2

"I erm, well I, ah ...Rosemary!"

This believe it or not was what was meant to be a quick and easy" break the ice" line from Blaine that instead sounded like the crazy ramblings of a delusional old farmer.

"Well I prefer Kurt but Rosemary is good too although we've just met, so I think it's a little soon for pet names don't cha think?" The boy gave a sympathetic smile and a questionable wink and held out his hand.

"Kurt Hummel, Property evaluator and restorer, full time perfectionist and you have no idea how glad I am that I've finally found this place, Honestly, Narnia isn't this inconspicuous!" he had a perky rhythm to his voice and a bashful smile that crinkled his nose in the cutest way.

Blaine dipped his head and smiled back, tapping the tip of his boots on the ground behind him as a nervous reaction to talking to, well, what he could only describe as some kind of angel. Quickly clocking on that a held out hand was usually a queue to shake it, Blaine tugged his out from his jean pockets and threw it into Kurts.

"oh er, B...Blaine Anderson, Lucy's my Auntie shes just inside, I work here, I'm the… oh god I am so sorry!" Blaine then retracted his over enthusiastic hand shake when he remembered just how sweaty and caked in mud they were.

"Gardener I'm guessing? That or the local crazy guy who comes round every Thursday morning to roll in the vegetable patch! ... just kidding"

Blaine let out a rather odd wheeze of a laugh and fumbled around for something for Kurt to wipe his hand on, failing this he showed him sheepishly inside the tea room and ran to fetch some kitchen towels, feeling guilty for, in his opinion, ruining such soft, clean skin, although knowing he was being ridiculous for felling so terrible.

Kurts buffed wooden heels clacked their way across the width of the tea room sending a clean business like echo down the passage way to the Café Kitchen. Lucy had over the years been complimented on her bakery delights so she took it upon herself to open a small café next to the tea room for the few customers she had to enjoy a bacon butty followed by a fresh homemade slice of whatever she felt like baking that day. Lucy must have been cooking at that moment since Kurt was nearly overwhelmed by the mouth-watering, thick wafts of butter, sugar and blueberries tip toeing there way over the large oak beams that held the old mill section of the house together, just.

Blaine scurried in and fumbled around in various draws for some sheets of kitchen paper when he knew perfectly well that spillages were almost always cleared up with whatever came to hand fastest, usually a jumper or a sleeve.

"Hey! Whoa sweetie, let's not snap the spatulas, whats the hurry and what are ya looking for?"

"Something clean, cloth or, or a shirt, no not a shirt that'd be weird maybe a towel or …yes! A towel! Yes, Thankyou!" Blaine padded Lucys shoulders with the tips of his fingers and leaped out of the room just as quickly as he entered it to find a towel.

Lucy stood a little confused and curious into why Blaine was so eager to clean something for the first time in his life when a perfectly quaffed wave of warm brown hair poked round the Kitchen archway, Kurt had a habit of curiosity getting the better of him.

"Oh hello honey! Sorry about the doorbell, god knows when that worked last, I'm just so glad you could have a look at the place, I've been on the list for months!" Lucy bowled her way through Kurts suggested handshake and went straight for the lung crushing hug of death as she did with anyone she met.

A muffled "Always, a, pleasure!" managed to strain its way out of Kurt as he found himself buried in layers of thick woollen jumper s and Lucys rather large bosom. Lucy eventually let her grip loosen and slyly wiped an escaping tear from her eye.

"Don't you worry Lucy, I talked to David and he said we'd make sure to do all we can to give you some options and help you get back on your feet, but I tell ya if you could bake a thousand of those cakes he keeps raving about them you'd be rolling in money! They smell fantastic ."

Blaine had only managed to catch the last few murmurs of the conversation so the words just flew over his head but he was relieved to have found a clean towel and promptly bought it to Kurt like a puppy retrieving a tennis ball.

"Sorry I took so long, I still don't know where everything is hidden in this place"

Blaine glanced over and widened his eyes at Lucy whose hand landed upon her hips in a huff,

"You mean where it is Kept! Where it is supposed to belong. And you can talk, where was it I found your bike keys yesterday B? The fridge!"

Kurt held back what was a devastatingly obvious grin caused by the strapping young man with abs of iron he had just met, being nicknamed "B" and what was even more adorable was the pursing of Blaines lips and clenched teeth that gave the game away over how much he really did not want Kurt knowing this.

A moment of embarrassing silence passed before Kurt rested his clipboard on the kitchen counter and clapped his palms together, "Well can I just say this property is gorgeous, stunning even and I would love to see more…" he hinted tilting his head slightly in Blaines direction.

"Oh yes! Silly me!" Lucy inconveniently intervened "'ere, you follow me my good man and I'll show you the works"

And without the possibility of getting a word in edgeways, Kurt Hummel found himself being whisked away down the hall of an old mill, arm in arm with a seemingly doolally Cook and having his eye caught by of a mysterious, dashing, handsome young gardener.

Blaine stared at the doorway Kurt had been yanked through and gave a quick love struck sigh as if his body had just remembered how to breathe. Even though confused by the arrival of a property evaluator, money being a subject Lucy never found appropriate to talk about, and still recovering from introducing himself to Kurt half naked, Blaine had realised that it was starting to become obvious, he would have to tell Lucy,tell her who he really was he couldn't keep a secret like this from her, not now.


	3. Chapter 3

"Boy! Where's the gravy? How can we 'ave mash without gravy!?"

Later that evening The Herb Garden kitchen was naturally bubbling with smells to tickle every taste bud and Lucy was dishing up a healthy dose of parsnip mash, thick juicy sausages and mixed vegetables all grown from in the patch outside. Lucy tucked a pretty mustard napkin under her chin and rubbed her hands together,

"You can't get fresher than that."

Blaine flung a tea towel over his fore arm and places his other hand behind his back in true sterio typical waiter etiquette.

"Would, Ma'am perhaps acquire a slash of onion gravy for her meal?" he asked in a snotty rather over exaggerated Queen's English whist pulling an appropriately poncey scrunched up face.

"Oh you" she gave his hair a quick ruffle of appreciation "yes yes! gravey galore, now sit ya bum down and let's eat."

Blaine poured the gloopy onion gravy over both of their meals and adjusted the cushion (handmade naturally) in his chair, to get comfy.

Lucy chucked away about her trip to the village and her hilarious mishap with the dogs pulling her over and launching the fresh bannoffee pie she had made onto the Vicars shoes and though he nodded and smiled politely and was usually was hanging on every word of her "trips out" tales, he found himself drifting off, and smiling in a different way somehow. Brushing the edge of him bottom lip with the tip his thumb he sighed dreamily through his nose and glanced over at the beautiful pale boy across the table looking back at him with those "come get me" eyes,

_God, what's happening to me? I can barely breathe when I look at him._

Blaines gaze drifted down his cheekbones, over his jawline and slowly down his neck, skin smooth and taught as it dipped down to his collarbone. What he wouldn't give to taste him. To run his fingers through that silky chocolate hair and run his tongue up Kurts throat and behind his ear and whisper things to him. To press him up against the bare brick wall by the fireplace and press an equally forceful kiss to his lips, feel the blood pumping round his body, the smell of sweat and adrenaline, sucking and licking each other all over and a small hungered moan escaping from Kurts mouth that told blaine he was begging for more mash….. sweetie? Blaine? Hello in there!

Blaines vision snapped back into focus.

"Blimey easier to wake coma patients ya know! Off with the fairies again I see, well, now that your back from Neverland could you tell me whether you'd fancy some more mash potato?!"

Potato potions were not the problem Blaine needed to take care of right now, he really, urgently, very painfully needed an excuse to get away from the table. Now.

"Wow that'd be great but I have to go to the loo, be right back" and like a rabbit at a gunshot Blaine threw himself up the stairs dangling the tea towel that luckily he had bought to the table with him, over an extremely obvious protruding penis.

Shutting the bathroom door behind him, Blaine slumped against the wall, quickly pulled down his jeans and pants and worked his hand frantically over his now throbbing hard cock in a desperate urge to relieve himself before Lucy got suspicious.

He closed his eyes and found Kurt Hummel hands clutching to the insides of Blaines thighs and arching his back as he moved down and his mouth opened slowly, tongue teasing the tip of his erection before diving in, taking him all at once. Blaine clenched his teeth together as he imagined Kurts head bobbing up and down, sliding in and out, hot and wet, more and more till the pressure had built and Blaine so bit tightly onto his lip so not to groan, and finally, he came.

He sat there for a moment catching his breath and clearing up the mess that had luckily only splattered the bathroom floor and not his shirt. And although that was possibly the hottest fantasy he'd ever thought, seeing himself half naked hastily clearing jizz off the floor as the cause of an unexpected boner, Blaine suddenly felt rather childish. Oh god, this was embarrassing, this is what he did when he was 16. This was not what a 21 year old guy, a man, should be doing.

Straightening himself up and washing his hands he crept his way back down stairs, but there was no point of creeping he remembered, Lucy was ready, pan in hand, expecting him to finish the mash, Blaine however, had slightly lost his appetite.

"Are we yay or nay on the mash hun?"

Blaine lent his arm against the doorway and let out a lengthy yawn, "I'm gonna pass Lucy, sorry, I think I'm going to call it a night, my back's killing me after sorting out the wood for the bonfire." Blaine slid his hand across his neck and as far down his shoulder blade as it would reach and pressed against his sore muscle.

"oh you poor thing, working like a pack mule day in, day out, you have a lie in tomorrow"

"Lucy you can't just do all-" Blaine attempted to argue, dipping his head forward and to one side as if reasoning with a determined toddler.

"Oh shush, _Can't,_ never got anything done! You just get a good night sleep and when you wake up I'll be "rolling in the money" like that said! Hoo hoo!" Lucy chucked, putting her palms together with another clap of satisfaction from a good meal, she then gave Blaine a gentle pat on the cheek and toddled off to the kitchen to finish the dishes.

_You've got to tell her_

Blaine ruffled his fingers through his matted, dark unruly hair,

J_ust tell her now, she'd know sooner or later, you can't keep pretending_

"I er, Lucy"

_She may not understand at first but she'll see that you haven't changed, your still you_

"hmm? Yes dear?"

Blaine felt the nerves fill his throat "I just thought you should know that, well I thought you needed to be told I'm….I'm…"

"yes?"

_Oh god. I can't do it._

"I'm…..so lucky to have an Auntie like you."

He sighed both in relief she didn't question his hesitance and in regret before Lucy simply gave him a peck on the cheek and wished him good night.

_Can't _isn't what Lucy told him, _Can't_ doesn't get anything done. He just couldn't face the rejection, he was almost 100% sure Lucy would never do that to him but what if? What if he wasn't the sweet boy in her eyes anymore? What if she saw him as some kind of liar or sin? Blaine wasn't convinced he was willing to make that risk, she was all he had and losing her trust would jeopardize everything.

Opening the small shuttered windows allowed the summer evening air to breathe a fresh atmosphere into his room, which was sorely needed, as he had discovers though his had the most stunning view of the grounds, it was by far the stuffiest.

Blaine closed his eyes and steadying his hands on the window ledge his leaned forward out of the window and took a deep, therapeutic breath and slowly opened them again to look out onto his hundreds of hand grown nurtured plants. It was beautiful. The moon was full and suspended high in the sky it beamed down like a spotlight onto the gardens, bathing it in a cool, mystic glow. To the right of the green houses, shadows of the willow trees slender branches swayed across the thick luscious grass, freshly mown a couple hours ago and the scent still strong in the air.

This place was nothing short of paradise, and Blaine even felt it was a part of him, everything from the Courtyard to the Willow Tree he had tended to with such devotion and great care. It was his sanctuary, a safe place to completely lose himself in for hours and this was his job!

He was lucky to have Lucy, lucky to have this place…

_Tomorrow._

Tomorrow he would tell her.


	4. Chapter 4

Mornings, whether they were the standard half six haul or a pleasant lay in, pretty much started the same way. Blaine would wearily open his eyes and find himself staring at the floor with one half of his upper body sliding off the bed, along with his duvet ,and Daisy leaping on and off the bed in a desperate need for a good fussing.

He would then pull himself back on the bed, throw the covers over his head and refuse to acknowledge the deafening noise being caused by his alarm somewhere behind his bedside table, but the combination of loud political radio debates and an attention seeking dog is never endured for more than five minutes, so, dragging himself from his pit like a grumpy bear being woken from hibernation, Blaine fumbles around to switch off the Radio 4 racket ,which thanks to Lucys promise of a lie in wasn't a problem today, and tummy rubs Daisy till she's practically out of breath before staggering himself to the bathroom for a nice hot shower.

Not that he was auditioning for anything any time soon or that he thought he was any good, Blaine still found that one of his favourite ways to start the day, was to belt out whatever song was in his head to himself while washing, which, coincidently, usually acted as Lucys wake up call. First verse was during shampoo time, second verse when he was rinsing it out, choruses were made for the shower gel scrub, as he could form a few appropriate dance moves while lathering his limbs, and everything from there was simply improvisation. Even though he'd probably shrink into a ball and die if he knew anyone ever heard him, Blaine was quite confident that he wasn't tone deaf and if the dogs weren't howling, then he couldn't be too bad.

Today's number was Teenage Dream, he had been whistling it to himself whilst fertilizing the carrot patch yesterday evening , and still couldn't budge it from his brain today so, Katy Perry it was. Finally fresh and wake, Blaine slid open the glass shower door and reached round to find a towel.

"What? Where's the…oh not again"

Daisy, unfortunately, wasn't the only one that liked to play up in the morning. Patch had a bad habit of chewing things, mainly socks or oven gloves or anything with an interesting smell to be honest and the odour of freshly washed towel was apparently too much for him to bare and Blaine never locked the bathroom door from a fear of being locked in thanks to a cruel prank played on him in year three.

"Paaaatch...ssstay." Slowly edging his hand towards the already mauled towel, Blaine made sure to calculate the exact moment when to strike, these "man vs dog" offs could get quite intense sometimes.

"Goood boy, gooooood boy. Now just, give… me…that…."

Patches eyes shot up and Blaine could have sworn that he even gave a cunning smile before playfully wagging his tail and darting out of the bathroom with Blaines only means of drying himself.

"Oh you stupid animal! Get back here!"

Blaine slipped and skidded out of the shower and hurried down the stairs to save the towel before it was totally destroyed and before Lucy saw him completely butt naked.

"HA! Gotcha!" Blaine closed in on Patch as he took the wrong way round the kitchen door and backed himself into a wall.

"Now who looks stupid?" he chuckled

"….We really do have to stop meeting like this"

_Oh god _

Blaine, quicker that he had ever moved before, draped the dog saliva ridden towel across his most vulnerable area and crossed his other arm over his chest, like that was going to make this situation any less embarrassing.

"Perhaps slightly to the left?"

Blaine let out as a squeaky school girl giggle and readjusted the ragged material over his gentiles to somewhere that didn't have a hole chewed through it. First and second impressions combined, Kurt Hummel had seen more of Blaine than his own auntie, and if he was totally honest he could get used to it but maybe this wasn't the most appropriate time.

"That's, err, Patch, he's about 8 now but he's not calming down any time soon, he's a pest half the time but I do love him, we've got another and she's about the same age, Daisy, she's a staffie, they're both bonkers really, not bad blankets though ha ha!"

Blaine wasn't sure why he had decided to start a conversation right at that moment, he had been think up good topics to get the ball rolling all night and since the reason for him being with hardly anything on, again, was mainly Patch's fault, the subject of pets had suddenly sprung to mind and before he could swallow his words and run back upstairs and pretend that this hadn't happened, Kurt, to his delight, was talking back, he was chatting _to_ him and _oh wow he looks so adorable when he smiles._

"Oh my god, I totally understand, well kinda, I have a cat called Harvey, quite a butch name for a cat I know! But it's just easier in London to have a cat, he just comes and goes as he pleases, anyway, he seems to think the sofa is his own personal giant scratching post, so I've given up with trying to find something classy or designer cause I know within a week it'll look like something out of a skip, and yes, pets do seem to make the best winter warmers don't they? Although Harvey is more of a hot water bottle than a blanket!" Kurts eyes squinted and nose wrinkled as he laughed, this was quite distracting and Blaine found himself too love-struck to think of a suitable response.

"Ha! Yeah pets are, they're great and er, we've got a couple of chickens too actually but I …I don't let them sleep at the end of my bed" a flush of red rushed to his face, as he forced himself not to smack his forehead into his palm.

_What. The hell?_

_That was literally the creepiest thing you've ever said and you said it to the cutest guy you've ever met. Smooth Blaine, real smooth._

But it was okay, Kurt was laughing, even harder and Blaine could feel himself starting to laugh too. This guy was so perfect; there was no other word to describe him! His smile, his laugh, his eyes, the way he talked, his ridiculously hot body which was even more obvious today due to a wonderfully tight pair of distressed black jeans and a slim cream shirt with a studded collar that grazed the toned muscle in his neck like some kind of super model.

"Well, Lucy said I was free to come round any day and see the rest of the gardens and the green house and what not, so maybe you could give me tour sometime?"

Blaine felt that rush of blood go to his head again and not before grabbing hold of his already pumping heart on the way up.

"Yeah! Sure! I practically planted everything back that accept the Willow Tree so any questions I'll be happy to answer, I know that garden like the back of my hand." Blaine grinned a little eagerly but Kurt seems to find it quite endearing and smiled back.

"I'd like that"

After a few bashful seconds of nervous laughter and staring at the floor, Kurt addressed quite an important issue Blaine would have to amend if they were to have a stroll round The Herb Garden.

"Well it is pretty hot out but maybe a shirt or at least some shorts might be a good idea, not sure the customers will be quite so pleasantly surprised to see you, in the pink" Kurt swiftly averted eye contact with the ripped body of a god standing warm and dripping wet in front of him, trying to use as much self-control as possible to prevent a rush of blood of his own.

"Okay, yes! Clothes good idea back in a mo…" reversing his way as gracefully as he could back up the stairs in order for him to not flash any more butt crack, Blaine dried what was left of the damp off his chest and legs and rummaged around on the floor for something not too soil ridden.

Finally deciding on some not fashionable but never the less, clean pair of khaki three quarter length shorts, a plain grey T-shirt and his trusty brown gardening boots, Blaine plodded back down to find Kurt casually mingling with a couple the regulars that had come for elevenses in the Tea room.

Blaine casually jogged over to the table that was already dotted with sponge cake and shortbreads,

"Ready!"

"Ah and here he is, I'll be seeing you ladies later no doubt"

"Oh you can count on me sweet! Never miss afternoon nibbles!" Grace beamed, showing off her slightly askew dentures.

Blaine and Kurt waved goodbye as they stepped out onto the outside patio and headed over to the vegetable patches to start and Kurt wasn't wrong, it was in fact, boiling. How he was able to bare skin tight, almost spray on black jeans Blaine didn't know, he wasn't complaining though.

"Hey I've got one"

"hmm?"

"Why did the tomato blush?"

Kurts lip curled into his classic toothy grin, "I dunno why?" he asked, even though he had heard this one before on numerous cooking channels, he just found Blaines awkward attempt at socialising sweet and quite gentlemanly.

"Because he saw the tomato getting dressed! Ha!" Blaine let the sentence hang in the air, not quite sure that he had understood it himself.

Shook his head and politely corrected him "I think you mean He saw the salad dressing"

"ah ha! Yes, sorry"

"That's okay" he reassured Blaine, "I still think you're funny…when you tell the punch line wrong…." Kurt whispered with a wink before walking further down the path.

_Huh?_

_Wait, where have I heard that before? Why did he say tha…._

_Oh no._

_Oh ,_

_Crap._


	5. Chapter 5

Though the sky was a blur of dirty-grey and overcast clouds, a muggy heat had settled on the Herb Garden that reminded everyone, that had gathered indoors for cake and air-conditioning, that it was still summer. Blaine had always considered the small talk in the tea room to be a kind of easy listening soundtrack, not eavesdropping per say, more like his own little private radio station. He just found people interesting in that way, their stories, secrets and history. All the places they'd been and people they'd met. Course he was never the one to start the conversation. There's never really a lesson on how to be confident in social situations, is there? You're just kind of meant to, _know. _Still it was never a problem; they were always keen to tell him tales from around the world, Blaine would always listen to the end even when some of the people from the old folk's home talked for hours.

However, Kurt was probably expecting something more responsive than the casual mmm's and yeah's the pensioners got and this was his chance to impress him. _First note to self, no more dodgy jokes._

Kurt followed the stone paved path round the various groups of colourful produce,

"You're actually pretty good you know"

Blaine felt the little flutter of butterflies tickle his stomach and a noticeable flush of colour rise to his cheeks again.

"I... don't usually, erm."

Kurt bent down to observe some ripening strawberries closer, balancing on the tips of his boots, shirt pulled across the arch of his back, hugging his figure is a rather teasing manner. He looked up at Blaine with an eyebrow raised slightly and just a hint of a smile curling from the corner of his mouth.

Blaine's bashful nature forced his to look anywhere and everywhere but Kurts eyes, as he slunk his hands into his pockets.

"….errrha" he coughed, clearing his throat that had always been Blaine's trademark giveaway that he was nervous, "No one that I know of has, heard me sing before"

Kurt tilted his head to one side, "Well I'm not one to brag, but I am an absolutely incredible singer" he purposefully overacted, flicking his quiff impersonating some kind of self-absorbed prima donna, "and in my opinion if that's what you sing like first thing in the morning without so much as a few warm up scales then you're a damn site better than you think Mr Anderson"

Kurt waggled his finger at Blaine as he stood up to turn on his heel and carry on down the path.

Blaine found it increasingly hard to stop smiling like a manic as they walked round they gardens, various small talk about the unusually high temperature weather and how on earth he had built this "little snippet of heaven" as Kurt described, all himself until they came to a small tree that stood at the back of the green houses.

"Well that's all the fruit, most of them in the green houses like you saw, just to keep them safe from the crows and mice when they're little" Blaine turned to look back at the garden, he had honestly never seen the place from this angle before, he'd usually dedicate all his time by the green house to making sure everything was just right before calling it a night.

"You talk like they're your children or something, never seen someone quite so concerned over fruit before." Kurt joked but strangely enough Blaine didn't look down or let out a quiet chuckle.

"They kind of are really, in a weird way" he admitted "I planted them, fed them, and protected them. Sounds insane I know, but it's what keeps us going and it's all Lucy and I have at the end of the day, this place…."

Kurt felt a sharp tug from inside him; most of the people he saw were dead pan faced property developers with no story, no enthusiasm, and no connection to the house except the money they'd get from it. He'd never had a customer be this honest and open before,

"…I'm just so glad you're here to help us make it look like new and get a fresh star. It's all I've ever wanted for her and sure I'm good with the manual stuff but, I don't know how to run a business." His words started to build pace and Kurt could hear Blaines cough more frequently in-between sentences, "And she loves this place, she really does. She's lived here for 34 years, its part of her and its h..." Blaine took in a long deep breath "…helped me, though some pretty hard times, and I don't know what we'd do, or where we'd go without it so I j-"

Kurt stood speechless, staring at Blaine, mouth loosely open and slightly taken back by how much he obviously cared for his family, no matter how unconventional or small.

"Blaine, I don't-"

"Just…." Blaine turned to face Kurt and though Blaine stretched a convincing smile across his face Kurt couldn't help but notice the tear that had began to form in the corner of his eye, "Thankyou."

Kurt, still unable to give a response, instead offered a respectful and gracious nod. This was more than a house or a means of living to Blaine, he thought, it meant something deeper, he's never seen someone so utterly dedicated to and passionate about his craft, maybe it was some kind of promise he had made to himself or a loved one, or a way of coping with something.

"Blaine, I know it might be a bit forward but, can I ask, why you live with your Auntie?" as soon as the words left his mouth, Kurt waited for the disgusted look or even "how dare you?" he knew he had coming.

But this was Blaines chance to be brave, "The London bombings, they were on the bus coming back, but they didn't."

Frozen in shock from the answer he had received, Kurt tried to comprehend how Blaine had been able to bare something that terrible and still be so, well, optimistic. Kurts mum had died from breast cancer when he was eight and though thinking about her could hurt, he was not quite old enough to have known her completely and it had been gradual, with visits to the hospital and his dad still there to guide and comfort him. But Blaine had been ripped away from both his parents so sudden and in such a traumatic way, it was impossible to imagen what that would do to a person.

"God, I miss them. Every day I think about them, and what time we could have had, and the things I could have told them but, but I just wasn't… brave enough." A heart beat passed, because they both knew what _that_ meant. Kurt came out to his dad in secondary school when he was 16 and he had never been so grateful for having someone so accepting and caring a father as him. Blaine however had obviously hidden himself away and never built the thick skin Kurt had, to deal with those who thought less of him for being gay.

"I know I'll see them again one day, I just, I never got…" Blaine held back any more tears that might have started to well up inside him, he had managed not to break down for seven years and he wasn't going to now. He looked up at the sky that had faded to a watercolour mix of misty orange and dusky pink as the sun settled behind the tall green ferns bordering the garden. "I never got to say goodbye."

Kurt, despite only having met Blaine a few days ago had already found himself connecting with him, and not just his usual flirty bolshie exterior, he felt a sense of reality, of being grounded and honest, it was pure and natural, somehow emphasised more by their surroundings. He wanted Blaine to trust him.

"I lost my mum when I was a kid, she was ill and didn't pull through. I know it's worlds apart from what you must have gone through Blaine but know that even though parents have a hard time understanding, they'll always love you and you, from what Lucy told me have been a miracle to her, so you can bet they're proud of you, and of who you are."

They had taken a few slow steps towards the Apple tree to begin the walk back to the house when Kurt, who was following Blaines direction lent forward and softly placed his hand on Blaines shoulder stopping him in his track.

"Hey, just so you know, if you ever need to talk again, I'm here."

_Oh god, I shouldn't have said that, I sound like a total creep. _

But just as Kurt was thinking about changing the subject or cracking an ice breaker joke, Blaine raised his hand to his shoulder and with just the tip of his fingers, touched Kurts.

It was such a small gesture but to have someone ask him what his story was, to tell him he had someone that he to talk to, someone to tell his secrets to was exactly what Blaine needed.


	6. Chapter 6

Blaine had been staring at his phone for an hour now had not gotten any closer to hitting the call button. Kurt had talked with Blaine and Lucy and explained how because it was such a rare property with a lot of work needed done to it, he would be coming back and forth every other weekend to take notes and measurements and discuss his proposition with his colleagues. In order to keep them up to date, Blaine and Kurt exchanged email addresses to send them updates and phone numbers for emergencies.

No, this wasn't an emergency, but he needed advice. Talking about how he never got to come out to his parents last week had got Blaine thinking, he just wanted to stop hiding from everyone, lying to Lucy and just get rid of the weight on his shoulders. But he had no idea how.

Sexuality had never been a subject people talked about where he lived, he knew no one else in the town who he could talk to about something like this let alone anyone who was actually homosexual and open about it. Blaine took a deep breath, closed his eyes and ….. Chucked his phone to the end of the bed.

_You need to do this yourself, you can't put it all on Kurt, it's not his responsibility. It's yours._

He looked up at the large, iron Victorian style clock, hooked on the bare brick wall opposite him. Most of the knick knacks around the house, including the clock, were from the little gift shop at the front of the building. Candles, soaps, jams and, of course, Lucys hand crafted, miniature, white lace cushions were just a handful of the various homemade items they sold, Blaine even knocked together a few wooden bird feeders and some watercolour canvas paintings of the various herbs and flowers in the garden in his spare time, which occasionally bought in a nice sum of money with the right customer.

Blaine discovered he had a talent for arts and crafts from a very early age when he bought home his first pasta collage when he was 6 and it just so happen to be, a perfect food replica, not of a dog or an owl, but of Van Gogh's Starry night. From then on Blaine was showered with paints, clay, and little wooden "slot it together and paint" sculptures for Birthdays and Christmas.

The Andersons were considered quite well off; the family lived in a Central London studio apartment before Blaine's parents died, Blaines father, Mark, an accountant for Halifax and his mother, Claire, a private school music teacher. Although his father had spent long tiresome discussions with him about his up and coming GCSE's and life choices, Blaine could never find the will power to sit through Maths or even look at one of his father's calculation presentations, he would much rather listen to Claire experimenting on the upright piano in the living room and try to strum along on the guitar. After the bombings Blaine was mentally forced to grow up very fast and found it near impossible to listen to anything classical, play the guitar himself or create anything, but slowly with the help of Lucy, he branched out and started to express himself again through the garden. First with pansies and bean sprouts and then as his interest grew, lavender, roses, tulips and eventually he had formed an entire paradise full of vibrant colours and aromas he could get lost and find peace in.

_8:46pm, Lucy'll be with a hot chocolate in the tea room by now... You can do this Blaine._

The low hum of the rain on the tearoom roof was slowly becoming louder but somehow very relaxing, even therapeutic. The droplets, now nearly the size of marbles, burst against the glass and trickled down to collect in the gutter, freshly cleaned out by Lucy only hours before. The air had been thickening for a few days and the both of them could sense a storm was due. Blaine even believed he was "Blainedor, The Rain God" when he was five as he had developed an extremely sensitive nose, and sometimes got nose bleeds when the pressure in the air became very dense. Thankfully it was something he only had when he was very little but Lucy always joked about it when she heard thunder brewing.

The sky was still light enough to see outside, though why anyone would be outside in this weather would a mystery, though rain or shine Blaine would find something to do, even if there were no customers all day, maybe hide himself in the green house where it was warm, feed the tomatoes and sing to himself.

He stood in the door way head lent against the wooden beam, biting the edge of his bottom lip as he ran over in his head for the 50th time what he had prepared to say.

"Lucy, Do you have a minute?" the words fell out of his mouth realising as soon as he heard himself that he wasn't as ready as he thought he was.

"Sure honey, have a sit down, there's some shortbread should you fancy it"

Blaine could feel his heart in his throat as Lucy patted the space next to her and before he could make some pathetic cover story in his head he had already started talking.

"Lucy, you are the kindest, most caring understanding person I know and you have literally been my guardian angel since, mum, and dad…" the word never got easier to say, like sandpaper on his tongue, "…Died. And it was hard leaving London and the change and growing up whilst trying to get over that, but you were, you were so kind to me and I've learnt so much from you and one of the biggest things I learnt was being honest and.." Blaine jammed his eyes shut to desperately hold in the tears he could feel bubbling up , he could taste the salt in his mouth and clenched his teeth together to try and control his breathing, "…And You know, you think a lot, about, regrets or, things you wish you'd done or said and I love you, and I trust you so much Lucy and I don't want to lie to you any m-"

Lucy grabbed Blaines clenched hand and held it tight with both of hers as Blaine dropped his head to hide his wet cheeks as he started to shake,

"Oh Blaine, Blaine I didn't realise you still felt like this, I wish you'd have talked to me sooner, but listen, listen to me I'm here for you, I always have been and I'm always gonna be."

Letting go with one hand, Lucy held the tips of her fingers under Blaines chin to raise his head and look at her little B,

"Whatever you need to tell me, you can."

This was it, he'd climbed the ladder taken the trapeze in hand leapt from the balcony and it was time to let go of the bar, all he could hope for was the net to be there to catch him.

"I'm gay."


	7. Chapter 7

Despite outsiders assumptions of London, Kurt didn't find it to have any kind of monotone atmosphere nor headache inducing personality he would often hear other commuters discussing. That was until he had got lost on purpose, and found the place he didn't even know he was looking for, The Herb Garden. One month ago he would have been happy scurrying to and from an office, on and off of tubes and buses and throwing away his earnings on lavish gifts for himself but now, now he was unfulfilled even though earning more than he ever had. He craved the country air, the space, the colours and smells that delicately floated in the trees instead his lungs were choked by thick, pungent engine fumes, his head invaded with the sound of personalised ringtones and traffic and the people and places blurring together in a palette of grey concrete and sickly discoloured, pastel corridors. That morning, the circle line didn't clack along the rails as per usual, instead, due to the heavy down pour last night, trains across London grinded and crawled their way from station to station with cancelations enraging pan faces business looky likes all over the capital.

This however gave Kurts mind time to wander, he imagined a canal, quiet and glistening in the summer sun, swans creating ripples in the water as they glide by under a large willow tree hanging over him. Kurt finds himself drifting slowly along with them as he looks down at the entrance to a little red and blue narrow boat and inside the decor is polished wooden walls, with little handmade lace cushions on the "L" shaped sofa and a dark haired gentleman with a devilishly handsome smile, that comes and wraps his hands around Kurts waist and pulls him closer and leans in to- Next stop, High Street Kensington. Dammit. Why couldn't he stop thinking about Blaine? This wasn't the meant to happen. He couldn't start to have feelings for him, not now, the plan was too far along he would lose his job if he said he said no to the offer, but he could risk losing Blaine if he told him…

This needed to be done carefully.

"Mr. Harrison!" Kurt got into work at 9:40, nearly three quarters of an hour late but it looked as though he wasn't the only one, with others starting up there laptops and making their coffee at their desks. Kurt threw his hand up to catch his bosses attention, but lowered it just as promptly when he realised just how must he had looked like a desperate seven year old doing so.

"Hummel thank god you're in, both Claire and Marcus can't make it till lunch so you'll be on your own with the two Oxford properties and-"  
Kurt, slightly out of breath from weaving through the sea of Londoners, still managed to splutter out his question before Harrison performed one of his "Mumble and leave" tricks.

"Sir, I just wondered, could I have a bit more time on the Berkshire Herb Farm deal? I... well, I think it's got more potential to give than we thought, it just needs a stronger business mind and I would be more than willing to take on the placement myself." His eyes were wide and desperate, Kurt was never one to beg but then again he'd never cared about someone like this before.

"Well sorry to throw a hammer in the dream son but I sent the foreclosure email to that Mr. Anderson first thing this morning, we can't be wasting any more time on these kinds of places I'm afraid." Kurts boss gave him a formal pat on the shoulder and trenched down the hallway oblivious to the damage he had caused what Kurt had hoped to become a relationship between him and Blaine.

_No. _

Kurt stood frozen to the spot, mouth hanging open as if waiting for his brain to finish loading before giving himself some kind of emergency procedure.

_Ring Blaine. He might not have read the email yet. Sort out a meeting today and for God sake when you see him tell him the truth. He deserves that much and maybe you can help him, loan him some money, it's the least you can do after what you did._

Without a second thought Kurt dropped the pile of scrabbled paperwork in his hand and hurriedly padded his jacket to find his mobile.

4 missed calls, all from Blaine and 1 voicemail.

_Oh god he knows._

And Kurt knew how much worse he would feel listening to the message but he couldn't help himself, he imagined the pain in Blaines voice, the confusion and anger. He had trusted him, confided in him and Kurt had been more than a little friendly on occasion. "_So this was all a lie?"_ he'd say, "You were just using me?" his voice would crack, the message would end and Kurt would never see him again.

_Wait, these messages were from last night. Midnight in fact, even half 12 and 1am. Harrison hadn't sent the email till morning. There's still a chance he hasn't read it._

Kurt hovered his thumb over the call button unsure whether to call his voicemail or call a taxi and drive there that second but after taking a few anxious paces up and down the hallway Kurt held his breath, bit the bullet and hit dial, then pressed play…

_Kurt I…_

There was a horrible pause, Kurt almost thought for a second that his phone had died but then he heard a faint whimper sighed from the other end,

_I told her…. I told Lucy th-that I'm, that I like guys. _

Blaines breath hitched again

_Sh-she won't look at me Kurt. She says she, __**can't**__, look at me. I tried to call earlier to ask you what you think I should say but, but you must be busy an-and it's not your fault, it's not your problem I just, I…_

Blaine must have been lying down on his bed because Kurt could even hear tears starting to pat on his pillow,

_I don't know what to do…. and I j-just really need someone to talk to… I need you Kurt. And I don't know, I don't even know why I'm saying this now and I'm so stupid for even thinking you'd maybe, maybe you'd think this too but…._

Kurts hands were shaking and heart racing, thudding against his chest as if it was going to smash its way out and run to Blaine then and there.

_I like you Kurt, a lot. And not just cau-cause you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen_, Blaine almost laughed at his own attempt at being a romantic, _but, because you make me smile and it's a __**real**__ smile, and I couldn't hold it back if I tried, It even hurts, how much I love you…_

Love. Kurts legs nearly gave way at he placed his other hand over his mouth to stop himself crying with the overwhelming tidal wave of emotions, that were surging though his body. The layers of guilt were piling up inside him, because he knew he still had to tell Blaine the real reason why he had come there, but on the other hand, the man that he couldn't get out of his head since Kurt had first laid eyes on him **had **just accidentally said he loved him and Kurt would be lying if he said that he didn't want to jump 50 feet into the air with joy.

_Oh my god, why did I say that? You're probably going to think I'm an idiot,_

"no! no! Blaine you're not I love you too!" Kurt burst to late realising that Blaines voice was still just a recording,

_But okay, that's, that's the truth. I love you Kurt. _

Blaine paused again, perhaps because this was the first time he'd said it out loud and really admitted it not just to Kurt, but to himself,

_Okay I… don't know wh-what else t-to say so, I'm gonna go._

_Bye Kurt._

Kurt didn't even think twice, he got Blaines number up and texted him as he quickly sat in his office chair and switched on his computer hoping that somehow if he worked faster maybe the day would move faster too,

_Blaine,_

_I got your message, we need to talk. My place at 6:00pm,_

_102 Queens Gardens, Bayswater,_

_Kurt._

Minutes and hours seems to pass by without any rhythm, the people around him too drifted by as Kurt ploughed through the stream of paper work and phone calls handed to him and just as he had got himself distracted, 5:00pm. That was it.

Blaine was on his way…


	8. Chapter 8

The entire way home, Kurt had been in a state of nauseous anxiety and he was never one for making sensible decisions in those kinds of situations. He scrambled through the large black polished wood door, his keys sandwiched in between his lips and with an array of bags, the thin plastic handles of which bit into his fingertips. It had occurred to him that he had been told many a time by his dad that he had dinner at ridiculous times, most of the time verging on midnight and that 6 o'clock was usually when most families sat down to eat, so a quick detour to the Chinese was top of the list, not exactly haute cuisine but on a couple of fancy plates it actually looked pleasantly presentable. He had no idea what Blaine drank, or even if he drank at all, so Kurt played it safe and went for a bottle of his favourite red that he thought might "compliment the noodles".

_Not bad Hummel, wine is perfect, food smells good, a little cologne and you should too… Oh god. I've gone over the top, shit, what the hell was I thinking? Hey Blaine, come in make yourself at home here have dinner with me, a little wine? Good, good, oh by the way, I lied about who I was, and now I'm kicking you and your Auntie out of your house leaving you jobless, that okay?-_

But before Kurt could even finish his panic struck trail of thought, the doorbell rang.

He briskly ran his hands through his misshapen hair, attempting some kind of vogue-esque wave but ending up with "blow dryer gone wild". Kurt peered through the viewfinder to see a surprisingly well dressed young man in a dark maroon jacket, white shirt unbutton slightly at the top and dark navy jeans. His hair was still slightly wavy but it had been tamed somewhat and was pushed back almost like that of the princes he'd watched in Disney movies. Kurt could tell Blaine was also nervous from the subtle nibbling of his bottom lip and the clearing of his throat.

_Oh well, here goes everything…_

_Oh well, here goes everything…_

Blaine sensed the latch on the door unlocking and quickly straightened up like a school boy ready for a mothers inspection. He'd had the pedal of his battered dusky blue citroen 2cv slammed against the foot well since half 4 and though he was disorientated by the complicated and winding motorways and the horn conducted humdrum of the rush hour traffic the thing Blaine found most infuriating about the city, was the lack of places to park. His parents rarely travelled outside the city when he was a child, and even then it was by train. Work was literally around the corner for his father and his mother simply carpooled, allowing the money they would have used for a car so be spent on trips out and other luxuries, so excluding a taxi or two, Blaine had never experienced London road life.

He had been a city boy, masking himself as a country boy, now masking as a city boy again. In all honesty within the last month he Blaine had gone from quietly bobbing along with life in the middle of nowhere to questioning who he even was anymore. For greater half of his teenage life he had been quiet content with being a wallflower in the Herb Garden, staying in the background, absorbing the small talk and "just going along with it", but now there was this whole other life, this whole other side of him that yearned to be heard, to be seen and to take risks. It could all be a mistake, he could be way in over his head or it could simply blow up in his face but he didn't care because he wasn't "little B" anymore, and he couldn't keep pretending to be. It was time to be Blaine…

"Blaine!"

Kurts voice went even higher than usual, rather too obviously exposing his nerves but followed with a genuine smile to greet him,

_Jesus, try and look like more of a creep next time why don't you Kurt?_

"Kurt!"

The name practically launched itself out of Blaines voice in both shock and excitement coming across as more of a shout than a greeting for Kurt,

_Oh, okay wow, holy crap, he looks amazing. I can't breathe, he did have to look like a fucking fallen angel when I'm trying to be cool didn't he?_

They both, in sync, decided a hug was the best move however Blaine had forgotten the large bunch and red and yellow roses he had tucked in this left hand behind his back and rather than a gentle embrace Kurt received a face full of petals.

"ohmnf! Pleh!" were the exact noises that came out of Kurt on impact and as he removed a bit of plant from his mouth followed by the sweetest giggle Blaine had ever heard stirring the butterflies that were already fluttering round his tummy.

"Oh Kurt! I'm so sorry! I…I…I got you these- well actually I _grew_ you these, but not specifically for you, well they are for you obviously, but I didn't know when I planted them they'd be for you because, I didn't er, know you ….then"

Though he knew Blaine was rambling and he probably should have just said thank you as quickly as possible, Kurt couldn't help but smile and listen and however much Blaine probably hated his tendency to go off on one in a state of panic, it was, to be honest, completely adorable.

"They're beautiful Blaine, thankyou." Kurt then gestured the way in with a tilt of his head and showed a bashful innocent Blaine through to the dining room where during the meal Kurt had planned to tell Blaine about the real him, horribly mimicking a little white lamb being lead to the slaughter house.

"I hope you like Chinese, I'm not the best at improvising with food but I can serve it up, stick on a playlist and bluff my way through a hopeless attempt like a pro" kurt chuckled bringing the food over from the kitchen.

Blaine stood in the middle of the room slowly turning on the spot taking in every little detail of Kurts home from the scattered photos of him, his father and friends to the piles of paperwork and sticky notes that plastered them. It was well lived in, however impeccably clean and everything had its place. Every corner of the room was exactly how Blaine would have pictured it to be, tall pinewood bookcases against cream walls and polished metal lamps next to large paisley print sofas. It didn't scream fashion; it whispered elegance, sophistication and had the gentle yet distinct aroma of rose and elderflower.

Quite the contrast from the textures brick walls, blackened fireplace and rug layered creaking floors of the Herb Garden that he adored but it was a refreshing space to be in and gave him a great sense of ease, the way an expensive spa might.

"I'm not usually this much of a pig, wink wink, but I just got a bit of everything just in case and you can change the music if you want I know French café music isn't everyone's style and sorry for not taking your jacket by the way would you like some wi-"

"Kurt"

The name cut through the air like a knife and even more painful the silence after that built up the sickening anticipation of the question Kurt knew Blaine was going to ask.

"Why did you invite me here?"

Setting down the bottle of wine he was about to open, Kurt closed his eyes and let out a strained breath to calm himself.

"It's ….it's not my fault Blaine and I'm so sorry."

"Sorry for what Kurt what's happened? What's wrong?"

Kurt attempted to look at Blaine but felt a stab of guilt plunge itself throw him as he saw those deep brown eyes wide and innocent staring back at him, begging to hold Kurt and give him the love he didn't deserve.

Kurt could feel his eyes welling so he dug his nails into his palm desperately trying to hold back his emotions,

"I'm not who I said I was"

"I… I don't understand"

"I lied to you. And Lucy. I'm not a property evaluator or restorer….. I work for a firm that deals with foreclosure. The Herb Farm was my case."

Blaine face sank from bewilderment and confusion to and pulled at something much deeper. Trust.

"I never meant to lie to you" Kurts voice was trembling, he had got revenge, bitten back at bullies and occasionally been cruel before he admitted that but he'd never intentionally hurt someone he loved. And he did, he loved Blaine.

Body ridged and teeth clenched, Blaines eyes became cold and broken and anger boiling up beneath him, he had the patience to accept Lucys decision not to talk to him yet but to take advantage of Lucys good heart, to fall in head over heels with someone and hand them your worse fears, your secrets and affections to have it all torn to shreds in front of you and be told that it was a lie, was something Blaine, this one time, was not going to take easy.

"We had to, bills were overdue and we had been monitoring the falling profits of The Herb Farm for months it was only a matter of time. I never meant to get this involved, I wasn't even supposed to meet you and your aunt in person and when I came I already knew the trouble your auntie had been having with the money-"

"What? What money Kurt!?" the tone in Blaines voice had changed, it sounded unnatural on him, harsh and blunt drilling its way into Kurts conscience and sending him a warning that the night was about to get a whole lot worse.

"She didn't even tell **me** Kurt, her own nephew and you, you knew all this time and you…."

Blaines eyes stared Kurt up and down as if he were a white rose that had been splattered in black paint,

"You knew we were in trouble and you tell me all this, this bullshit about how you are going to help us?!", Blaine spat out the words, each one louder than the last, "I, trusted, you. I fucking trusted you with things I've never told anyone! You said to me, that you would be there if you needed me. And you bring me here tonight with no explanation after you listened to that message…" Blaine had never shouted before, sure as a child but never in adult conversation, and even though he was so disgusted and angry, more than he'd ever been, Blaine couldn't help but feel the warm brush of a tear fall down his cheek, "and talk me into, whatever the fuck this is, to tell me that the one person I thought I could let myself, love. Was never really real at all."

Kurt said nothing. He couldn't think of anything to say. Blaine had shown him his heart and he had toyed around with it like a pathetic little game. Kurts felt like nails had been pushed deep into his chest and his insides twisted with regret. There was no point asking for forgiveness, Blaine would never look at him again, he'd never see the corner of Blaines mouth curl whenever he looked at him for too long, never talk about their feelings under the apple tree again, and defiantly never hold his hand, touch his skin, kiss him. Blaine wouldn't forgive him. And he didn't want to be.

"Now if you don't mind, I think I've lost my appetite."

Blaine walked to the door and just before closing it behind him, he looked up at Kurts broken expression and with all the energy he had left, through the roses he still had tight in his hand to the ground,

"Thanks for a wonderful evening Kurt."

And then, he was gone.

Blaine didn't go back to the car, he had no family comfort him, he didn't turn for one last look at Kurts house, he didn't have a friend to talk to and he didn't want to be sober any more.

_The old Blaine could be walked all over, used, abandoned. Well he's gone now._ _What's one night of drinking? No one will even notice I'm gone… let alone care._

His watch glistened under the sickeningly yellow street lights that flickered and buzzed guiding him towards the low beat of the underground clubs in the ally way across the road.

6:18pm, the night was young…..


End file.
